December 5, 2001
Complications
Question from Kibbutz Shluhot, Israel:
I am a 48 year old woman who has have had type 1 diabetes for 44 years, and while I know that male impotence may be a problem, I have never seen anything mentioned about female sexual dysfunction or had it mentioned by any medical person. Do you have any information on how female sexuality may be adversely affected by type 1 diabetes?
Answer:
This is not an uncommon question. Just as you say, it is easier to document male sexual dysfunction. I must say that it has been noted by many patients that they feel that their ability to reach orgasm may be decreased with diabetes. Vaginal dryness and frequent yeast infections and bladder infections can also be a problem. There has been some interest in testing Viagra for this condition in women, but I have not seen any data to document any efficacy.
JTL
